By Zyer Henry, Lawton MacArthur High School
After 44 years, the Service Station is running out of gas.
The Service Station is a gas station-themed restaurant just north of the University of Oklahoma’s Campus Corner where you can grab food such as fried chicken and burgers. On top of that, they also have a full bar for adults to lounge with friends.
The restaurant announced on July 4 it’ll cease operations at the end of the month, generating a flood of nostalgia and flurry of last visits by locals.
The restaurant originally opened Nov. 18, 1978. Before owning the Service Station, Phil and Jerry Crewson both had previously owned a restaurant known as the Crosby’s across Webster Avenue. Their experience with their former restaurant led to their success in opening the Service Station.
In 2001, they sold the Service Station to its current owners, Betty Johnson and Kenton Johnson, and Jeff Crabtree. Since Crabtree’s retirement in 2019, Betty and Kenton have been the owners.
“We first started working together at another restaurant in 1994,” Kenton said. “And then we bought this in 2001 — together — Jeff and I and Betty. And so he retired in September of 2019.”
Kenton, who is 64, originally came to Norman from Northwestern Oklahoma. He was working in an oil rig, and later at a bar. Bartending with his friend, Crabtree, led to even more opportunities like, eventually, the Service Station.
Kenton Johnson is celebrating his 65th birthday by retiring and, by extension, closing the restaurant. There has been a copious amount of pushback and “gnashing of teeth,” Kenton said, from customers, which was expected when such a popular restaurant closes, especially because that the Service Station was voted “best lunch place in Norman” in 2019.
Part of that success was rooted in how Kenton always made time to get to know his customers and employees regardless of age. Living in a college town and running a business near campus, Kenton has always had a soft spot for younger generations he has watched grow up and considers interacting with them to be some of the best memories at the Service Station. From weddings to babies, Kenton relishes every moment he’s spent with these youth turned adults.
“Oh, the best ones would be the kids that worked here. I’ll get emotional. But we’ve had I don’t know how many,” he said, reflecting on how as recently as January he and his wife went to Vegas for the wedding of a former employee who worked there 15 years ago.
It’s a bittersweet goodbye for customers, too.
Andrew Burgess has been coming to the restaurant for a little over 40 years. He particularly enjoys the BLT, burgers and fried okra. Just like most customers, he’s disheartened by the close but is understanding why, and hopes for a potential comeback in the future.
“I’m a little sad, but what I really hope is that if they’re selling it, they find a buyer who will keep it the same,” Burgess said
Kenton seems to be content with what he has created when it comes to the Service Station. There are no plans to potentially re-opening or keep the store open past July 31, even with some of his younger employees helping run the restaurant.
Kenton is ready for retirement, and has potential plans laid out in front of him.
“I’ve been doing this 30 years, I’m satisfied. I’m proud of what we’ve done. I’m satisfied with what I have done. And I need to go fishing a little more,” Kenton said. “The closest thing that returns to this is my ultimate retirement job.” My wife doesn’t agree with it. But I really want to own a bait shop and beer joint on the lake somewhere. Where I’m open, like two days a week, you know.”
“I think that would be awesome.”
